


A blue child (and other unexplained mysteries)

by Melacka



Category: The Good Place (TV)
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-08
Updated: 2020-04-08
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:34:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23538433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melacka/pseuds/Melacka
Summary: Michael takes care of a de-aged Jason. It goes about as well as can be expected.
Relationships: Jianyu Li | Jason Mendoza & Michael (The Good Place)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 45
Collections: Robot Rainbow 2020





	A blue child (and other unexplained mysteries)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [telm_393](https://archiveofourown.org/users/telm_393/gifts).



“There’s a perfectly reasonable explanation for this,” Michael began confidently.

He looked around the room, noticing that the faces around him went from shocked (Tahani), to pained (Chidi), to downright amused (Eleanor).

“Really, it’s going to be fine. Janet?”

“Hi there!”

“Janet, could you please take him into my office? I’ll be with you in a minute.”

Michael handed the squirming toddler to Janet and turned back to the others.

“There was a small accident.”

“Accident?” Tahani cried. “It appears that Jason has been turned into a toddler and all you can say—”

Jason chose that moment to re-enter the room, making a beeline for Michael with a surprisingly determined look on his face. He crashed straight into his legs and held on, looking up at him with a smile. Michael sighed resignedly and smiled back at him.

“Oh no,” Chidi groaned, sitting down heavily in the nearest chair and cradling his head in his hands. “Oh no no no.”

“It’s alright, bud,” Eleanor said, patting his back reassuringly. “It might actually be easier to have Jason in this state while we try to figure out the other situation.”

Chidi groaned again and started rocking back and forth in his chair.

“New plan,” Michael said loudly, sweeping Jason up into his arms and holding him firmly to his chest. “Janet and I will take care of Jason, you three go back to our original problem. Janet?”

“Hi there!”

“We’re going to need something to entertain him for a while until we figure this whole thing out.”

Michael struggled to contain Jason when he launched himself at Janet with a joyful laugh. Janet grinned at him and waved.

“What do human toddlers do anyway?” Michael grunted when Jason accidentally kicked him in the stomach.

“Probably just the same stuff adult Jason does,” Eleanor said as she coaxed Chidi to stand up. “Just maybe don’t let him have any Molotov cocktails.”

Michael laughed loudly. No one else joined in.

“Come on, guys! It’ll be fine!”

“Have you ever looked after a child, Michael?” Tahani asked cautiously. “They can be a great deal of work.”

“Well, no, I haven’t had to do it personally, but I’ve tort—uh, dealt with a lot of people who have.”

“Maybe one of us should stay with you,” Chidi said. “Maybe offer some human experience—”

“Don’t be ridiculous!” Michael scoffed. “Janet and I are perfectly capable of handling this. I mean, how hard can it be?”

He should have known better. He really should have.

* * *

Three hours later, Michael surveyed the wreck of his office as Jason ran in circles around him.

“Janet!”

“Hi there!”

“My hoodie,” he said simply.

“Why is he blue?” Janet asked.

“My hoodie, please, Janet.”

She helped him slip his hoodie on and then stepped back as he slowly lay down on the floor in front of his desk. Jason immediately climbed on top of him.

“Michael?”

“I don’t know why he’s blue,” Michael mumbled, staring straight ahead. “I looked away from him for a second, just one second, and when I turned back,” he gestured helplessly with his hand, “blue.”

“Blue!” Jason yelled.

“Yes, blue,” Michael agreed. “Janet, can you please just give him something to play with? I need to have a minor breakdown for a moment.”

“Jason!” Janet said cheerfully, holding out a toy drum. “Look!”

Jason jumped off Michael and grabbed at the drum, immediately banging on it loudly. He started marching up and down the room.

“Michael, I don’t mean to rush you,” Janet murmured quietly, kneeling down in front of him. “But I’ve just checked in on the others and your absence has been noticed by some of the other residents.”

“I don’t know what to do,” he moaned. “I don’t know why Jason is a child suddenly, I don’t know how to turn him back and I _don’t_ know why he’s _blue_.”

He rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling.

“Why is he blue, Janet?” he whispered. “Why is he blue?”

“Blue, blue, blue, blue, blue!” Jason chanted, banging his drum as he walked.

“Why would anyone have children, Janet?” Michael groaned. “How has humanity lasted as long as it has?”

“The biological imperative—”

“Don’t talk to me about biological imperatives,” he interrupted her angrily, sitting up and leaning against his desk for support. “There has to be something more than that, to make all _this_ worth it.”

Michael looked around the destruction caused by a few hours with a de-aged Jason.

“He doesn’t want to do anything I want him to do. If I want him to eat, he wants to play. If I want him to sit, he wants to jump around. When I want him to be quiet, he wants to be loud.”

“Loud, loud, loud!” Jason yelled happily.

“And when I want him to just stay the same, he turns blue!” Michael glared at the blue child running past him. “Why do humans do it? What do they hope for when they have children?” He winced at a loud crash and looked over to see Jason looking guiltily at a broken vase. “Why do they _do_ it?”

“Sorry,” Jason whispered, twisting his shirt between his hands anxiously.

“It’s okay, bud,” Michael said reassuringly. “It’s not your fault.”

Jason looked at him hopefully and made his way over to where he was slumped against his desk. He settled against him comfortably, putting his small arms around him in a tight hug. Michael sucked in a surprised breath and looked at him in wonder. Jason’s little face was turned up to his, perfectly content. He closed his eyes and leaned his head against Michael’s chest.

“Oh,” Michael breathed as understanding dawned. “ _Oh_.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to anyone who reads/leaves kudos/comments!


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